Monday, December 23, 2013

List of Lists - Bug Out Bag

I am going to go ahead and tackle the sometimes lengthy and complicated subject of the Bug Out Bag (BOB). The BOB, also known as the Get Out Of Dodge (G.O.O.D.) bag, is a backpack or rucksack meant to carry the necessary gear to enable you to move from wherever you are to wherever your Bug Out Location (BOL) is located. Generally, it should be able to sustain you for up to 72 hours. Having a good BOB is NOT a substitute for long term preparations and it is NOT a substitute for a good BOL. It is just meant to be your emergency "go bag" when you're faced with a "I have to get out of here NOW" type of situation and you only have time to grab one or a few items. The BOB should be the first thing you grab in such a situation.

The subject of the BOB can get lengthy and complicated, as I already stated. In fact, I have placed a book on the subject on my List of Lists in recent posts. I'll try to keep this post as basic and concise as possible.

Each person in your family or group needs to have their own BOB. In the case of infants, this isn't necessary, but even a small backpack can be thrown together for a toddler or small child. Each person will need to carry all of the things that will be used by them. There will be one "main" BOB that the strongest person in the group will need to carry. It will carry everything that person needs, plus some community items that the group as a whole will need. If there is time, grab every BOB before you "bug out". If there isn't time to grab all of them, at least make sure you grab the main BOB. It will be the most important one. Below is a list of items that should go in the main BOB. Keep in mind what kind of terrain you are likely to encounter in your home area and your BOL. Also keep your area and your BOL's weather patterns in mind. You can take this BOB list and tweak it so it fits your group needs and your weather and terrain needs. If you know you have no need of gloves tailored for cold weather or a fleece jacket or cap (during Summer months, for instance) then you'd leave those out of the bag. Also, remember to review your bags every Winter and Summer at least. The items you need will not be the same from season to season in most areas of the world.

The pack used for the additional adult BOBs doesn't need to be as large as the main BOB. Each individual should tailor their BOB to their own needs without compromising their survivability. For instance, a male could look at this list and remove the tampons, while a female would be better off leaving them in the BOB. Also, whether you are carrying an additional adult BOB or the main BOB, if you need any special items, such as prescription medication, don't forget to keep at least 72 hours worth of it in the BOB you're carrying. Rotate the medication so you know you'll always have recently prescribed pills.

A child's BOB is not nearly as large or complex as the adult bags. If you have children in the group, it's a good idea to place some of the items they need in some of the adult BOBs. The child's list is below.

In the case of an infant, they will be able to share the water or food from the adult BOBs without compromising the survivability of the members of the group.

You'll notice that there isn't much of anything in the way of hygiene in any of these BOBs.
Hygiene is important in a long term survival scenario, but in a 72 hour
kit, there isn't much room for it. You'll notice there isn't a ton of
food either. It's likely that your belly won't be full if you arrive at
your BOL after a 72 hour trip, but you won't be left starving or thirsty
when you get there either, thanks to the stuff that IS in your BOB.

Often, people will place much more focus on putting together a good BOB than they will on preparing a BOL or on stocking up on food or water. It's important to remember that a BOB is NOT what you create in order to run away and live in the woods for the next 20 years. That would be referred to as an I'm Never Coming Home (INCH) bag. The BOB is simply made to get you from point A to point B.

For a great guide to putting together a BOB, check out the book ""How to Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag" by Creek Stewart. It's a great read, very informative and even has checklists in the back. I used it to compile what I feel is a good beginner's list for putting together your group's BOBs.